Passengers: +6% compared to January 2023
In January, we welcomed 1,403,192 passengers, an increase of 6% compared to January 2023. The end of the Christmas holidays at the beginning of the month meant that more passengers arrived than departed. The suspension of flights to Tel Aviv continues to have a negative impact on passenger numbers, as did the short strike at Brussels Airlines and the winter conditions at German airports, which led to temporary closures.
Transfer passengers made up 17% of the number of departing passengers, a slight fall due to the decrease in the number of transfer passengers within Europe. The number of intercontinental transfer passengers on the other hand increased, which is more in line with Brussels Airport's objectives as a hub.
The top 10 destination countries in January were respectively Spain, Germany, Italy, Morocco, Turkey, Switzerland, the United States, France, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates.
Flown cargo volumes: up 6% compared with January 2023
In January, overall freight volumes at Brussels Airport rose by 3% compared to January 2023, reaching 55,051 tonnes.
Flown cargo volumes grew by 6%, totalling 46,376 tonnes.
The full freighter segment saw a robust upturn of 15%, while belly cargo on passenger aircraft rose by 19%, thanks to the increase in passenger flights. Express services fell by 9% and trucked cargo volumes by 9%.
The main import regions are Asia (which recorded a sizeable increase of 112% compared to January 2023), Africa (-0.5%) and North America (-16%). The main export region is also Asia (-6%), followed by North America (-21%) and Africa (-11%).
Flight movements: 3% increase compared to January 2023
In January, the number of flight movements increased by 3% to 13,508. The number of passenger flights increased by 5% compared to 2023. There were on average 128 passengers per flight in January 2024, one more than in 2023. The number of cargo flights decreased by 6% largely due to the drop in the number of express cargo flights.
You will find more detailed figures in our press release.